A Little Too Late
by LivForAPurpose
Summary: Set during the first episode when Roman and Riker capture Skylar. What would have happened if the rest of the Elite Force had arrived a little too late?
1. Chapter 1

3rd. Person

Set in the first episode of Elite Force when Skylar is captured by Roman and Riker.

What would have happened if the elite force had gotten there a little too late.

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"She's going to tell us exactly where they are," he said, his voice almost a growl.

He grabbed the metal bars that held her hostage and she stepped back. He pulled them open and walked in. She isn't one to back down from a fight. "I will never tell you. You can't make me," she says, nearly spitting.

"I think I can find a way." he says slyly.

"Do whatever you want to me. I won't betray my friends," she says bravely.

"If you insist." he says, walking toward her.

She gets into her fighting stance. It's a good fight. The kind with good, witty comebacks and sharp remarks. They are both tired out, and Roman has to lean against the wall for support when Skylar delivers a hard blow to his stomach. She thinks she's won. She thinks she'll escape. Then Riker steps in. He's not really the violent type, and he never wanted to take Skylar in the first place, but he does love his brother, and he'll take her out if she hurts him. Skylar, already tired from her fight with Roman, has no chance against an eighteen-year-old with superpowers who is fighting for his brother. He's fresh. He hasn't been fighting for the past twenty minutes like Skylar. She fails to defend herself is delivered several consecutive blows to her stomach, head, and back. She is finally taken down for good when he kicks her legs and sends her flying off of her feet and face first onto the concrete. She makes no noise; she won't accept defeat. Riker steps away from her, believing that she has been taken down sufficiently. She is thankful for his chivalry. At least he has a little bit of a heart. But Roman does not. He gets up and walks to her. He has recovered from her blows and is standing over her. She turns over and tries to stand, but he pushes her back down and holds her down. "I'm not done with her yet. I think she needs to be taught a lesson that she won't forget," he says.

"Wh-what are you going to do?" asks Riker hesitantly.

"You'll see. Now, just guard the door and don't talk. In fact, just don't even look. It will be better for you that way." he replies.

Riker turns his head away. He hears noises, but he doesn't turn around. He doesn't want to know what the reason for those noises is. It only lasts for a few minutes. Soon Roman is beside Riker, with Skylar in his grasp. He hands her to him and he catches her. She looks paler than before, and a bit dishevelled, but otherwise fine. She is having a hard time standing though and leans on him more than she wants to. He sets her down against a wall and walks to his brother. "What did you do?" he asks.

"I did what was necessary. Don't question me about it again," he replies with spite in his voice.

"Okay," he says reluctantly.

The rest of the elite force arrives, a little too late. Oliver busts open the metal door that was keeping Skylar from breaking free. Chase, Kaz, and Bree get to work on defeating Roman and Riker. Before they can finish the job, though, Oliver calls out that Bree needs to come help him with Skylar. She scoffs and mumbles that he's the one with super strength. She does come, though, and Chase and Kaz finish up Roman and Riker. They have almost contained them when Bree calls for Chase and Kaz. "Guys! We need you! Skylar's been hurt!"

They both come running and see Bree with her arm around Skylar's waist and Skylar's arm slung around Bree's shoulder. Skylar seems to be having trouble walking, which worries all of them. She puts on a brave face, and tries to act like she's fine, but they all know she's not. "What happened?" asks Chase when no one says anything.

"I don't know. I came in and tried to help her up, but she just sat there and wouldn't say anything. She still hasn't talked. I asked for Bree because I thought she would respond to her better. She did let Bree help her up, but she won't talk." Oliver explains.

Chase looks worried, and Kaz seems confused. "I think we need to get her back to the tower right away and check for injuries. Bree, I'm going to let you check her over, okay?" says Chase in a grave voice.

"Why me?" Bree asks, sounding surprised.

"I think it would be best that way. Since she didn't respond to Oliver's help, and she did to yours, I think it would be better if you were the one to check her over. You know, because you're a girl." he says, the last part so quiet only she can hear it.

Bree's eyes widen and her eyebrows furrowed with worry. "Do you think that's what happened, Chase?" she asks in a whisper to match his.

"Look at her. It's very possible," he replies.

Bree looks behind her and gasps. The others follow her actions. Roman and Riker have escaped. "Oh, great! Now we've lost them!" exclaims Kaz.

Bree bites her lip. That means they are still out there and able to hurt more people. "Let's go," she says.

They walk back to the tower, but Bree superspeeds Skylar there. By the time the others arrive, Bree and Skylar are in mission command, Skylar is sitting in a chair and Bree is setting up all of Chase's examination tools. She's assisted him so many times that she is almost an expert, but she isn't sure she can do it. She knows what she'll probably find, and she knows the memories it will bring back. Skylar has finally talked again. It wasn't much, but she said, "I'm tired."

Bree replied by telling her that she could sleep as soon as the examination was done. Skylar had a scared look in her eyes after that, but when Bree assured her that she would be doing the examining, she calmed down a bit. Chase left Oliver and Kaz upstairs and went to check on Bree and Skylar. Just as he had expected, she closes off when he comes down. She refuses to look at him. "Bree, how is it going?" he asks.

"I don't know if I can do this." she says nervously.

"Of course, you can. You've helped me so many times, you're practically as good as I am," he says, missing her point.

"No, it's not that. I know what I'll probably find and I'm scared. I can't see that again. I can't-" she says, choking on her words.

"You can do this, Bree. I will be right upstairs if you have any questions. But you have to do this. You are the only one who can do it." he says, taking her hands in his for a moment for emphasis as well as comfort.

She nods and continues setting up. He walks away, but just before he leaves the room, he turns around and looks at them once more. "She can do this. They both can." he thinks to himself with a smile.


	2. Chapter 2

Chase's P.O.V.

Oliver and Kaz are waiting anxiously for me to return. They nearly knock me over when I get upstairs. "Is she okay?" Oliver asks.

"I don't know. Bree hadn't started checking her out yet when I was down there." I reply.

"Well, I hope she's alright." says Kaz.

"Me too. But, guys, it doesn't look so good. I think she may be more injured than she appears." I say, trying to let on to what probably happened.

They just look confused. "What do you mean? She looked okay. I mean, other than the not talking and walking part." says Kaz.

Oliver just looks at his feet. "I knew something was wrong. I went to her, but she pushed me away. She looked less herself, you know? She looked more like the little girl who just lost her powers than the brave superhero I know and love." he says.

"Do you know what happened to her?" asks Kaz.

"Not really. There are several possibilities." I reply hesitantly.

"Well, like what?" asks Kaz, still very naive and curious.

"Well, they might have just used their powers to beat her up some. Or they could have just beat her up without using their powers. That's what we're hoping for."I explain, not giving away the other possibility.

"I just hope she's okay." Says Oliver.

"I know," I reply quietly.

I don't know if I could go through all that pain again. Once was horrible, but twice? Seeing someone you're close to hurting is the worst thing in the world. Especially when you can do nothing to fix it. Even when you are the smartest man in the world, there is no solution, and it makes you feel terrible. All three of us sit on the couch in a comfortable, but anxious, silence. No one speaks, no one moves for quite a long time. My super hearing picks up a scream from downstairs, and I stand up. The noise is strangled, like the person couldn't quite get it out. After a few moments of silence, I hear the scream again. This time, I recognize that it's my name that is being called. It isn't until the third time that I realize that the voice belongs to Bree. I jump up and rush to the hyper lift. I almost go down, but I remember that as much as I want to make sure Bree is okay, I can't go down there for fear of causing Skylar to have a panic attack. I run my hands through my hair as I struggle with what to do. I have no clue what is even going on down there. I don't know why Bree is screaming for me. I don't know what is wrong. She might be hurt, or she might have been scared by what she saw. Maybe something happened and she needs me. But, I can't go to her. I can't risk causing Skylar a panic attack. I'm so torn. Luckily, I don't have to make a decision because Skylar comes up the hyper lift and looks right at me. Oliver and Kaz stand up and come towards her, but she steps back, and they stop. I wave them away, and they sit down again, still confused.

"What's wrong?" I ask, stepping away from her to give her space.

"Bree needs you. She, I don't know what happened. Something about a panic attack." she replies, her breathing getting faster.

My eyes widen. "Okay, look at me. You are fine. You are okay. Just try to breathe, okay? In and out. There you go. Good. Now let's go help Bree. Come on." I say, getting her to calm down somewhat.

We get downstairs quickly. Bree is sitting down, her hand over her heart. She seems to be doing alright. "Are you okay?" I ask, trying not to startle her.

She nods and continues to breathe in and out heavily. Finally, she speaks, "I'm okay. I was fine until I got to the one part and the blood just-" she chokes.

"I know. I've had nightmares about it too. You are okay now. You are both going to be okay. Remember: it's just on the outside. You just need to take her to the bathroom and get it cleaned. You will both be fine. I promise. I will wait outside the door so that if you need me I will be right there. Try to stay calm." I say gently.

She nods and stands up, using my arm for leverage. "Thanks," she says, smiling a bit.

I rub her back a bit as we walk to the hyper lift and she seems to relax. We get upstairs quickly and go right past the guys to the bathroom. They don't say anything; they don't have time. I can fill them in later. I don't quite know how to tell them what happened. They say things get easier the more times you do something, but I don't think this will ever be easy to say. I remember back at the academy, almost eight months ago, when we told Tasha. It was horrible. I went with Bree to tell her. I had to hear it all over again. It was like I was reliving it as she told Tasha what had happened. It must have been even worse for her, though. I can't even imagine how hard it must have been for her. I go to the bathroom with the girls and wait right outside the door. I give Bree an encouraging smile just before she goes inside and she smiles back nervously. I wait for what seems like an hour. I'm afraid for Bree. I don't want her to have a panic attack again. She had them often a few months ago. She hasn't had one in a few months now until today. I'm also scared for Skylar. I don't know how I'm going to do this again. Once was hard enough. Eventually, they emerge from the bathroom, all clean. Skylar is wearing a different set of clothes and seems to be doing a bit better. "I think I'm just going to go to bed," she says, sounding tired.

I nod and Bree says, "Go ahead. We can talk more tomorrow."


	3. Chapter 3

I pull Bree into the room I share with Kaz and Oliver. They are still in the living room, so they won't hear our conversation. We sit down on Oliver's bed. "Hey, are you okay?" I ask her.

What happened in there before really scared me. She hasn't had an attack in months. She rubs her arm and looks at her feet. "I'm fine, I guess. It just brought back memories of before. I told Skylar not to look. Once those images are in your head, you can't go back." she replies, her eyes haunted.

I scoot closer to her. "I know. I remember them. Was it bad?" I ask.

"It's not the worst. Mine was worse. Of course, I didn't tell her that." she says, still not meeting my eyes.

"I'm sorry," I say, not knowing what else to say.

"You know what she told me?" she says, looking up at me, "She said, 'I'm going to be okay. I have to be okay eventually. I'm a superhero. I'm going to be okay.' That's what she said. I could never have said that then."

"She's strong. She will be okay." I begin, but she looks downcast, "But you are strong too. Look at you! You are so amazing!"

This seems to make her feel better as she smiles and looks at me. "Thanks. I didn't feel amazing when I had that panic attack, though," she says.

"I know. I'm sorry. I should have been closer. I should have made sure you were okay." I reply.

'"It's not your fault. I should have been able to handle it. I'm a hero. I need to learn to just get over myself." she says, laughing bitterly.

"No! Don't say that. This will take time. It's okay to still be hurting. I mean, I was still scared about the avalanche incident almost a year after it happened, and it wasn't nearly as bad as what happened to you. Don't feel bad for feeling. It's natural. You have to feel to heal. Ooh! That was a good one!" I reply, pleased at my phrase.

She laughs a bit and wraps her arms around my waist for a bit. "Thanks," she says.

I return her hug and then we break apart and stand up. I, for one, am ready for bed, but Bree can't explain it all to Oliver and Kaz by herself. I have to go help her. Well, here goes.

Bree's P.O.V.

Chase and I walk back to the living room. I don't know how to tell Oliver and Kaz about this. They stand up when we enter the room, anxious for news about Skylar. Oliver is smart. He'll figure it out fast. Kaz might take a little longer to get the point. I'm glad we didn't have to explain my incident to Adam. I mean, he was there. He saw it happen. He didn't know all the terms, but he knew what was going on. "What's going on? How is Skylar?" asks Kaz, his face looking worried.

I look at Chase and he understands. I can't say this to him. "Skylar was hurt. It's worse than we had thought. She, well, without her powers, she couldn't stop them. Skylar is in a lot of pain, both physically and mentally. She is going to be alright, but it is going to take some time for her to heal. They hurt her. A lot. I-I can't." he says, breaking down in the end.

I place my hand on his shoulder and we sit down on the couch. Oliver and Kaz sit in chairs across from us. "They, they r-r..." I can't bring myself to say it.

Thankfully, I don't have to. Oliver gets the idea and his eyes widen. "No! No, that can't be! I can't, it just, no!" he exclaims, clearly distraught.

"She said that she would be okay. She told me that. I could have never said that then. She's strong. She will make it. We will all be okay." I say to try to calm him.

"Look, we just need to treat her normally and give her space. I-I have dealt with this before. I think she just needs some rest and then for us to love her. We have to give her room to breathe and not make her feel like a cripple. But at the same time, don't act like it's nothing." Chase says.

His face is pained and I feel for him. He has had to deal with this twice now. I know how much he cares for people. He hates to see people hurting. Especially when there's nothing he can do to fix it. Kaz is starting to understand what's going on, I think. "Guys, do you think that Skylar, do you think she was, I mean, was she raped?" he asks, his face filled with pain.

I nod and Chase says, "Yes. She was. Bree helped her get cleaned up and said that the signs were obvious. She should know. She's dealt with it before."

"But this isn't the worst I've seen. It's not that bad, really, compared to some. Fortunately for her, they just wanted to torture her to get information. They weren't really interested in her. They just wanted to bring her down. She isn't hurt too badly. She will be up and be walking again in a day or two and her injuries will heal within a week or so. The main thing is the emotional pain. It's, it's really hard to go through something like that. It makes you feel so dirty and worthless. That is going to be the main problem." I say in a slightly shaky voice.

Chase notices my tone and rubs my arm to calm me. Luckily for me, Kaz and Oliver are too focused on Skylar to pay any attention to my strange behavior. "If only I would have gotten Skylar's powers back. She would have been able to fight them off. This wouldn't have happened." says Oliver.

"Don't blame yourself. This is not your fault. This is no one's fault except Roman and Riker. She will blame herself too. And you will be no help to her with that if you are also blaming yourself." says Chase.

"Yeah, you need to tell her that this is not her fault. Don't tell her it will be okay. It is already not okay. Don't promise to avenge her, even if we will. Just tell her that you love her and that she is safe now. Tell her that she is going to get better. That will mean the world to her." I say, looking at Chase.

"Hey!" he whispers so that only I can hear, "I said that! To you! Theif!"

I just laugh at him. "Look, why don't we all just get some rest. It's been a long day and we are going to need to be wide awake to deal with tomorrow," says Chase.

I stand up and Oliver and Kaz follow my example. "Goodnight, guys," I say before walking into my room.

"Goodnight." "Night." is the reply.

Chase doesn't say anything but gives me a smile as he walks into his room. I know he understands what I'm going through right now. I'm really glad I have him here with me. Skylar is sleeping so I get into my capsule and close my eyes. When I do, my mind is haunted with images from my past. I tell myself that I am okay now and that I am safe and loved. The images fade away. The memories are painful, but I survived and I will keep surviving. I will be okay. Poor Skylar. She has to just start the process. It took me so long to get to where I am now. I wish there was a way to speed it up. I wish there was a way to erase all the pain. But if that had been possible, Mr. Davenport would have done it for me. Eventually, I feel sleepy and begin to fall asleep. One thing is funny, though; I'm actually falling asleep. I haven't slept well in days because of Skylar's snoring. Tonight she is silent. I want to find out why, but sleep overcomes me and I forget all about it.


	4. Chapter 4

Chase's P.O.V.

Well, I can't sleep. One would think it would be easier for me to sleep without Skylar's incessant snoring, but tonight it is absent and it bothers me. I don't think she is sleeping well. I think back to when I used to have terrible nightmares. I wouldn't sleep for days out of fear and anxiety. I tried to make it seem like no big deal. I tried to ignore it and make sure no one noticed my distress. It worked for awhile. One night I was awake because of my nightmares. I was sitting in the living room of the Mission Creek house. This was a few years back and we still lived there. Bree had woken up and came into the kitchen to grab a midnight snack. Well, it was more like a three in the morning snack, but still. She noticed me sitting in the living room and sat down beside me. As much as I tried, I couldn't hide the tear stains on my cheeks from her. I hate crying. It is just one more thing for my siblings to tease me about. I don't cry in front of them often.

Instead of laughing, though, she asked what was wrong and placed her hand on my arm to comfort me. I tried to tell her it was nothing. She didn't listen. She's always been my big sister and I guess she always will be. She looks after me and makes sure that I'm okay. She pressed until I finally broke down and told her about the nightmares I had been having. The nightmares were horrible. It was like I was back in the ice and snow. Trapped. Only this time, no one came to rescue me. Sometimes Bree and Adam even laughed as I struggled to breathe. In other dreams, I sided with Douglas and ended up hurting my family. I can still hear their screams in my mind when I think about it. They were terrible dreams and I hated them. I still hate them. I just didn't know how to stop them. I was exhausted and scared and alone. I told Bree about my nightmares and she just hugged me. She might not always know just what to say, but she does know how to comfort someone. She knows when someone needs a hug or a hand on the shoulder, or to be left alone completely. I admire her for that. I was never any good at comforting people. Although, she said I did just fine for her.

Skylar still isn't snoring, but Bree is. They have different snores. I know, it seems crazy that I can tell between the two, but I can. At least Bree is getting some sleep. She hasn't been sleeping too well since we got here. And I definitely thought she would have a hard time sleeping tonight, but she's probably exhausted. I stretch and stand up, careful not to wake Oliver and Kaz. I walk into the living room and sit down on the couch.

It's then that I see Skylar sitting a few feet away from me on the other end of the couch. My first instinct is to jump up and move to one of the chairs, but then I think that I might not be too close and maybe it's okay. If she seems uncomfortable, I will move, but it may make her uncomfortable if I jump up like that. She might think that I think she has a disease or something like that. I debate whether I should talk or sit in silence, but she makes my decision very easy by speaking first. "Hey, what are you doing up?" she asks, sounding curious.

"I couldn't sleep. Bree was snoring and I just, it's been a long day. I guess I was thinking about some stuff." I reply, running my hand through my hair.

She nods. "Me too. I just had a hard time sleeping tonight. I'm sure it will be fine. There's nothing to worry about." she says, suddenly guarded.

I smile a bit; she sounds like Bree. And maybe even a little like myself. "I used to have nightmares. They were really bad. Sometimes I would hurt my family. Other times they would leave me to die. I understand not being able to sleep." I explain the best I can.

"Did they ever go away?" she asks, seeming to need the answer to be yes.

"Yeah, I haven't had one in a year or so. They do go away. But, I couldn't do it on my own. It's kind of funny, actually, it was, um, Bree who helped me. She noticed that I was acting strange and pressed me until I told her what was wrong. She helped me get rid of them." I reply a bit awkwardly.

"She's a good sister." Skylar mumbles to herself, but I hear it.

I smile. "Yeah, she definitely is. But don't tell her I said so."

That makes her smile as well. "Chase, I, uh, I don't know if I should ask you this, but about earlier, when Bree had that panic attack, what was that all about? Why did she get so anxious? I mean, I guess it could have been the blood, but you said she has helped you with different things before, so she shouldn't be afraid of blood, right?" she asks cautiously.

"Yeah, um, well, I don't know if she wants me to tell you all about it. I think she wants to tell you herself. Something about bonding she said, I think. But, I will tell you that she hasn't exactly had an easy time either. She was hurt about nine months ago. She had a really hard time with it. We all did. I mean, we were all standing there when it happened. We all saw the whole thing. Don't get me wrong, there was nothing we could do. We were all tied down, unable to get out,even with our bionics . I wrestled with guilt for a long time. So did Bree. But eventually we realised that it wasn't our fault. It's not your fault, Skylar." I say, making her look up at me.


	5. Chapter 5

It's Still Chase's P.O.V. Don't worry, it won't be for much longer... I have to go to camp next week so I'm updating this today! Okay, have a great week, guys! Hope you enjoy this chapter! Please review! :) Luvs!

The look on her face breaks my heart. "Why do I feel so nasty then? Why do I feel like I've done something wrong? Why did he-" she stops when she cannot speak anymore .

"I'm so sorry. I don't know why. I really wish I could give you an answer. You didn't do anything to deserve this, Skylar. You have to believe that. I know it's hard, but you can't blame yourself for this." I say softly

"I just don't get it. I mean, why? They wanted to know where the superheroes are hiding. I get that. I know they wanted to get the information out of me no matter what. I just didn't think they would be so cruel." She replied, seeming to almost forget that I am there at all.

I let leave her alone with her thoughts for a bit. She Doesn't cry. Come to think of it, I haven't seen her cry at all during this whole ordeal. I think Bree was right. She is going to be okay. She looks at me and frowns. "I don't want to be afraid, Chase. I didn't even know what happened to me. I didn't know what it is called. Bree told me what happened. She explained a little while she cleaned me up. I looked it up afterwards. I didn't know it happened so much. I didn't know it was so bad. Did you know, well of course you do. You are smart,but, people die from it sometimes. I had it easy. I mean, yeah it hurts but I'm alive and I am going to get all better really soon. Some girls don't get the chance to get better. They just die. It's horrible! Why does that happen? And some girls never get better. They get this sickness in their heads and they get scared of all guys. I can't do that. I don't want that to happen." She says with feeling.

I look at her with shining eyes. I admire her bravery as much as I admire my sister's. " It won't. You won't be afraid. If you were going to be afraid it would have happened already and you wouldn't be talking to me like this now. you are brave. You will get through this. But don't think the girls who are afraid are weaker. They just handle it differently. Most of the time it just takes them longer to get out of the fear stage. I should know; my sister was one of them. She was really hurt. It took her a week to walk again. It's because I messed up. This part was my fault. I didn't shield her eyes. I let her see what he did to her. She saw all the blood, the scars, everything. I should have been more aware. She didn't let you see it because she knows how much it would hurt you to see it. I let her see it. I still feel terrible about that. I mean, I got out first. I helped free her and put her mission suit back on while Adam took out the villains. I was the one who carried her out of there while Adam finished up. I asked Mr. Davenport, to let me nurse her because I had already helped her before. He agreed after a while. I cleaned her up and tried to help her. I tried to tell her that she was going to survive it. I asked that I love her and the whole family does too. I tried to tell her it wasn't her fault. It was going fine until she looked down. She screamed at the top of her lungs. I touched her shoulder to try to calm her it always worked when we were little, but this time it definitely did not. She looked at me, some cards. I felt horrible. It broke my heart to see her like that and to think that I was the cause of her pain. Everyone rushed in to see what was wrong. She hid under the covers of the gurney and refused to talk to anyone. I had to explain what happened. Mr. Davenport told me it was alright. He said that it was just an accident. I knew better. I had ruined everything. She didn't talk to me for weeks after that. Leo took over my job and she got much better. She was up and talking to everyone except me. I felt horrible so I didn't approach her either. Eventually, after about two months, she started trying to talk to me, but whenever she got within twenty feet of me, she just froze. We couldn't even sit at the same table to eat. When four months passed, she got sick of it. She told me that she wanted to be able to be close to me again;to sit on the same couch. I was ready for it too. It was a slow process but we are closer than ever now. We understand each other more. But be glad that you don't have to wait months and months to feel better. Let me tell you, it was torture. I can't even imagine how it was for her." I explain, giving way a bit of the story.

" Yeah, I am glad for that. You know, I don't want to think about it right now. Could we just be quiet for awhile? " She says, rubbing her arm.

I nod. "Yeah, I get it. Bree and I used to watch movies when she couldn't sleep. Do you want to try that?" I ask softly.

"Sure." She says simply.

I turn on the TV and settle in. She sits beside me but in no time she's asleep. I drift off as well to the sound of both Skylar's and Bree's snoring.


	6. Chapter 6

Bree's P.O.V.

When I wake up, I feel refreshed. I haven't slept this well in weeks. But when I recall the reason I slept so well, I frown. I look to Skylar's bed and see that it is empty. I begin to worry about where she might be, so I go to find Chase. He isn't in his capsule, though, so I head toward the living room to see if either of them are there. My eyes scan the room and I quickly discover both Skylar and Chase on the couch, the TV still on. I smile. I'm glad Skylar is doing so well. I cross to the couch and shake Chase's shoulder to wake him. "Chase! Wake up!" I whisper.

He frowns, his eyes still closed. "Bree? What? Where am I?" he asks, confused.

"You're on the couch. You fell asleep watching a movie, from the looks of it." I reply.

"The couch? Why-did you have a nightmare again? I think I would remember if I did, and I don't..." he trails off.

He still hasn't opened his eyes. Silly boy. "No, it wasn't me. I slept great, actually. But it looks like you and Skylar had a great talk last night." I say, smiling a bit.

I'm glad he got her to sleep. I'm glad he could help her just like he helped me. He jumps at my words, but my hands are placed firmly on his shoulders to prevent him from moving too much and waking Skylar. "I, this is Skylar?!" he asks, finally opening his eyes, "What am I going to do?"

He looks at me with a worried look. I shrug and then smile at him. "Come on, just get up. But be careful not to wake her!" I say quietly.

He stands up carefully and brushes himself off. "Do you think I did any damage?" he asks me, the worry still in his eyes.

I shake my head and smile, resting my head on his shoulder briefly. "No, I think you did a lot of good. Now, hurry and change. I'll start breakfast and you can help me." I reply, walking to the small kitchen.

"Why do I have to help you make breakfast?" he asks.

"I just saved you from a whole lot of embarrassment. Do you really think it would have gone over well if Oliver found you sleeping on the couch with the love of his life and comforting her, which is all he really wants to do? He loves her, Chase. He loves her a lot. I can tell. Let him help her." I explain.

He grunts in agreement and heads off to his room. Meanwhile, I begin cooking up a delicious breakfast consisting of eggs and bacon and Belgian waffles. Just kidding. I doubt we even have a waffle maker in the penthouse. Even if we do, I'm not the greatest cook in the world and probably couldn't make them if I tried. I am, however, attempting to cook up some pancakes from an instant mix I found in the cabinet. After a few minutes, I think I'm doing pretty well. That is until Chase runs in wearing only jeans and his undershirt and holding his nose, his face looking both disgusted and alarmed. "What are you doing in here? Are you trying to kill us all?" he exclaims, running to the stove and promptly turning it off.

"I'm cooking," I reply simply.

" _That_ is not cooking. That is an insult to all cooks everywhere, even Tasha," he replies, scraping the pancake batter mess into the trash.

I frown, a bit offended. "Hey! It's not like you could do any better!" I say, trying to defend myself.

He just gives a little laugh and smirks. He walks to the cabinet and pulls out all sorts of ingredients. "Those instant mixes are disgusting. I much prefer the real thing," he comments as he begins mixing the ingredients together.

"What, did you download some sort of cooking app?" I ask, incredulous.

"No, I just like cooking. I love Tasha, but I really do not love her cooking. I decided to learn how to cook so that I could make myself good meals. I've been cooking for myself since I was fourteen." he says a bit smugly.

"Why did you never tell me this? I suffered from Tasha's food for years and all along I could have had good food! But you always ate at dinner. How did you manage that?" I ask.

"I hid it under the table when no one was looking and after dinner cleaned it up and threw it away." he explains.

"No wonder you always volunteered to clear the table!" I say, understanding.

He's dropping batter onto the pan, facing away from me, but I see him smile anyway. We stand there silently for a few minutes as the batter cooks into a beautiful pancake. "Could you get the butter and syrup for me? This batch is almost ready," he says, flipping a golden-brown pancake over.

I nod and grab the syrup from the cabinet. Next, I head to the fridge for the butter. I wrinkle my nose in disgust. I don't know how he eats pancakes with this stuff on them. When I set the syrup and butter next to him, he looks up at me and smiles. "Good," he says, sliding a pancake onto a plate.

He spreads a small amount of butter across the pancake and drizzles it with syrup. "Here," he says, handing me a fork, "Dig in."

"I don't like butter on my pancakes," I explain, shaking my head.

He is already on his third bite and doesn't seem to be interested in slowing down anytime soon. He looks up at me and ceases his shoveling long enough to reply, "You'll love it. Trust me."

I look at the pancake with uncertainty. It _does_ look pretty good. I pick up my fork and close my eyes as I allow the buttery pancake entrance into my mouth. It's strange at first. I don't like it at all. But, then the flavors start mixing together and it becomes a beautiful blend of everything good and sweet and wonderful. I let out an audible sigh and reopen my eyes. Chase is looking at me with an amused look on his face. "What do you think?" he asks, obviously already knowing the answer.

"It's actually not that bad." I say with a small sigh.

At the look of delight on his face, I add, "Of course, it isn't anything close to what I'm used to and it could definitely use some improvement. But... it's definitely not the worst thing I've ever tasted." I say, trying not to smile.

He smirks happily. "Alright, alright. I shouldn't have expected any great praise from my sister, but I'm glad you enjoyed it. Let's finish up these pancakes and we'll wake up the others."

"We might let Skylar sleep. She needs all the rest she can get." I comment, dipping my finger in the pancake batter and rubbing it onto Chase's nose.

"Hey! You leave the pancakes to me. Just help me set the table, please." he says, rubbing pancake batter onto my nose as well.

I turn around and pull out the glasses from the cabinet. I smile to myself as I work; today is going to be good. Today we will rest. Tomorrow we can get to work on defeating Roman and Riker and saving the world and helping Skylar, but today, today we will all just rest.


	7. Chapter 7

Bree's P.O.V.

Oliver and Kaz come into the kitchen as I am finishing my pancake. Chase has just finished making the last of them and is now cleaning up the stove. "Mmm.. Something smells good." says Kaz, breathing in the scent.

"Yeah, I made pancakes." I reply casually.

"What? No you didn't! I made them!" exclaims Chase, turning around to glare at me.

"Well, you made these, but I did make pancakes." I answer, smirking a bit.

"Yeah, and they smelled like burnt hair." he retorts.

I glare at him and am about to reply when Oliver says, "Well, it looks like you two are off to a good start this morning. Now, can you please stop bickering so I can eat? These really do smell very good and I want to try them." he says, sitting down and pouring a glass of orange juice.

"Fine, fine. But you are so going to get it later. Better watch your back,Chase!" I say playfully.

"Me? Oh you just wait, Princess. Oh what I have in store for you... And you think all those years of pranking Adam were for nothing! Ha! Well, you are in for quite a surprise!" he replies, smiling in that, 'I'm better than you' way he always does.

"Okay, okay! I take it back! This is even worse! Just be quiet so I can eat! Your shouting is hurting my head. I am really tired and didn't sleep well, so..." he says, trailing off.

"What is it?" asks Kaz.

"I think I'm going to go and take a shower." he replies quietly.

"What? I thought you were so excited for these pancakes! You shouldn't let them go to waste. I went to a lot of trouble to fix her mess and turn it into this masterpiece!" says Chase, praising himself in the process.

"I-I lost my appetite." he says, looking at his feet.

I glance at Chase and he gives me a knowing look. He nods and walks up to Oliver. "Hey, it's going to be alright. Trust me. Everything will work out. I talked to her last night. She is so brave. You just wait and see. She will be fine." he says, placing a hand on Oliver's shoulder.

"I hope so. I can't stand to see her like she was yesterday. It broke my heart, you know." he says, looking at Chase.

"I know. It broke mine too. Twice. You know, going through it once doesn't really prepare you for when it happens again. It's still as shocking and heartbreaking as the first time." He says, the words tumbling out of his mouth before he can stop them.

I glare at him and nearly growl, "Chase!"

But it's too late. Oliver looks thoughtful and Kaz looks confused. "You two keep talking about this being the second time you've gone through this. I know you've both been on a lot of missions and seen a lot of things, but this seems to be a really painful subject for you guys. What happened to the two of you that makes it so hard? What was this first time you keep talking about?" Asks Oliver, treading carefully.

I look to Chase nervously. He nods encouragingly. I know it's time to tell them the whole story. I take a deep breathe as Chase sits down beside me. He takes my hand under the table and gives it a quick squeeze before letting go. I look at him and he smiles at me. So, I begin. "A while after you guys visited us, there was an encounter with this villain named Giselle. She was horrible. She built an army of androids to take out all bionic humans. One of these androids was named Troy. He was cute and I might have had a tiny crush on him."

I pause to take a breath and Chase jumps in with, "And by tiny, she means huge."

His tone is teasing, but still soft. He doesn't want to hurt my feelings. "Anyway, I ended up almost getting all of us killed because of that stupid crush. We managed to escape thanks to Leo, but they took Chase. They wanted his bionic chip. They were going to take it out of his neck and, they were going to kill him. You can't imagine how I felt. It was all my fault. I thought he was dead. Everyone did. It was terrible. I thought I would never see my brother again. It hurt and I wanted to kill Troy and Giselle for what they did. So did Adam. I just wanted him back. So he came back. He had been fine all along. I was so happy to see him. I didn't guard myself properly and Troy got me. My brothers all tried to stop him. Troy threatened to kill me if they came closer. And I knew he wasn't bluffing. Then they were going to blast me to save the world. I said it was okay. I told them to do it. But he offered them a deal. He offered to let them all go free if he could have just me. They said no immediately, but I told them to consider it. Before they could do anything, I said yes. I-I didn't know what I was doing. I was just trying to save them. I thought I could figure some way out. I-I just didn't know."

When I can't continue any longer, Chase rubs my shoulder and continues for me.

"They tied us up. Held us back. We couldn't get out no matter how hard we tried. He put up a bionic blocking screen around us. We were trapped. We couldn't do anything. He took Bree and he... he told us that she had made a good choice. That the rest of us would get to go free after he was done. We banged on the screen. We tried everything to get out of there and save her. She tried everything to save herself, too. But he was stronger than even Adam, and she couldn't get away. We screamed and cried. Adam was crying. He said he couldn't lose two siblings in one day. Leo screamed the whole time. The poor kid... I stood there and tried to figure a way out." He breathes in deeply. I know this is hard for him to say. He feels like he failed me. He still thinks it's his fault sometimes.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Hey guys! I'm sorry I have taken so long to update. To make it up to you, I will give you the next few chapters this week. :) I think I am going to finish this story with ten chapters. I have so many other ideas and as much as I love this story, I also want to write others. This includes the prequel to this story, Bree's story. It will take place before this story when the lab rats battle Giselle and Troy. It will be Bree's story of what happened to her when she went to save Chase from Giselle's lab. I hope you will all read that as well. Thank you guys so uch for the nice reviews and for reading this story! I hope you all have a great day! Love you guys! :):)

Bree's P.O.V.

"I did. But I was too late. I found a way to take down the screen and as soon as I did, Adam stopped his crying and got down to work beating Troy to a mess of metal and mush. Leo and Douglas took down the rest of the androids. I went to Bree. I-I can't tell you all the things I felt there in that moment. It was devastating and horrible and crushing and it made me want to punch things. But at the same time, I wanted to figure out a way to make it all better, but I also knew I couldn't and so I wanted to just hold her so she would feel safe and loved and... It was just crazy. I was crazy. And it hurt so much. My heart hurt and I wanted to cry and not stop. And I don't cry often. But I had to think about her. As horrible and sick as I felt, I knew she was worse off. Much worse. So I ran. I think I was going as fast as you do, Bree. It felt like I was flying. We got back to the academy and I took her to the infirmary. It was really bad. I had never seen anything so horrible in my life. I gasped and my eyes were as big as melons, I'm sure. She looked to see what had made me react that way and after that, everything just went downhill. She saw what had happened. I don't think she quite remembered until then. I tried to make her feel better. I just wanted to make it right. She didn't want me to be near her after that. Wouldn't come within ten feet of me. It was hard being apart for so long, but she got better. She is amazing and strong and beautiful and brave and everyday she continues to amaze me with how far she has come since that day." he explains, adding in a few things that I hadn't heard in a long time.

I smile at my brother with shining eyes. I can tell there are tears in his eyes as well. I pull him into a hug and let out a shaky breath. He laughs lightly and squeezes my shoulders. "I couldn't have done it without you." I say, pulling away from him a bit.

"You could have. But I'm glad I was able to be there for you." he replies.

Kaz and Oliver, who have been silent the entire time, look stunned. I don't think they ever suspected any of this. Oliver's face falls into a look of compassion as he says, "I'm sorry, Bree. I didn't know about any of this. I-I'm glad you're better now. I'm just sorry you had to go through this."

Kaz straightens in his chair and looks at me. "I'm sorry too. You didn't deserve that. No one does."

I nod and smile at them. "Thank you. It took awhile, but now I know it doesn't define me. That isn't who I am. I am just me now. It still hurts sometimes. The memories. Especially yesterday. But I know that I am loved. When I remember that I have people in my life who love me more than the world and a whole world of people out there who look up to and rely on me, it makes it feel better. I don't feel so hopeless. I have life again."

They smile at me. I stand up and begin to walk away, but turn back to them and say, "I'm going to make sure Skylar is doing okay. I think I heard her waking up. Don't all come just yet. Too many people crowding her could make her feel closed in and scared." I say.

They all nod and I walk to the living room. Sure enough, Skylar is sitting up on the couch, a thoughtful look on her face. "Hey, how are you feeling?" I ask, sitting beside her on the couch.

She turns to face me and yawns. "Tired." she replies.

I laugh lightly. "Oh, yes. The first night is definitely the worst. It's okay. It will get better, I promise."

"That was quite a story." she says, changing the direction of the conversation.

"What?" I ask, not sure what she is talking about.

"That story about, well, your story. It was worse than I imagined. I didn't expect all of that. But, you understand exactly what I'm dealing with then, don't you." she says.

"I have more to tell you later. Things I didn't tell the guys. Only Chase knows, really. He was there. I didn't know you heard us. We were trying not to wake you." I say.

She shrugs. "I woke up when the boys came down. I just wasn't ready to get up yet."

"When you are, there is a good sized stack of pancakes on the table. That is, if the boys haven't scarfed them all down already." I say with a laugh.

She laughs a little too. "I feel better, Bree. Especially after what Chase said to me last night. He's a really good guy, you know."

"I know. I'm glad he was able to talk to you and help you out." I reply, smiling.

Her stomach growls and she laughs. "I think that's telling me I'm hungry. Let's go eat!" She says, standing up with only a little trouble.

She's doing better already. She is going to be okay. I know it.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: So what do you guys think of the prequel idea? Thanks for reading! Have a great day! :)

Bree's P.O.V.

"Alright. How are you doing with the whole walking thing?" I ask.

"Okay, I guess. It will get better soon, you said?" she replies.

"Yes, it should be all better within a day or two. Do you want me to help you today, though?" I ask, offering her assistance.

"No, when I go in there, I have to look strong for the guys. I don't want them to worry." she says.

"They are already worried. Take it easy today. We can be strong tomorrow." I say.

"I still want to walk on my own, but I'll be sure to be careful." She says as we enter the kitchen.

The boys all turn to look at us as soon as we walk in. Skylar waves at them, but they don't stop staring. Finally, Chase steps in and pulls out a seat for her to sit in. "So, how are you feeling, Skylar?" he asks, breaking the silence.

The boys' faces return to normal and she replies. "I'm alright, I think. I'm really hungry, though."

Oliver jumps up to get her some pancakes and juice. He is such a hurry that he drops the glass, causing it to shatter on the floor. She just stares at it as if it's the most interesting and sad thing in the world. "I'm so sorry, Skylar! Here I'll get you another one and clean up this mess. I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" he exclaims, reaching down to clean up the broken glass.

She stops him by placing her hand on his shoulder. She bends down and picks up a large piece from off the floor. She stares at it for a long time. Her hand is still on Oliver's shoulder and he places his own hand on top of hers. This wakes her up and she whips her head around to face him. "It's broken." she states simply.

"I-I can fix it. Just let me-" he begins before she cuts him off.

"No, you can't, Oliver. You can't fix this. But it's okay, because I can. It wasn't your fault that it broke. It's not your fault." she says, looking him straight in the eye.

He looks at her and I can almost see something inside him break. A wall. A barrier. Because he breaks down then. He sits down on the floor among the shards of broken glass. "It's not." he says, looking at the glass around him.

She shakes her head, making him look up at her again. "It's not." she repeats.

One tear. Two. Three and four and all the rest. It's like a flood. Like a river that has pushed through the barrier. Like a dam that has overflowed. They are both crying now, hands clasped together. She pulls him up and then uses his strength to pull herself up as well so that they are both standing. "It's not your fault either. You didn't break it either, Skylar." he says.

"No, I didn't. But I will fix it anyway. It is still mine to fix. And It will be alright. I have lots of helpers to help me fix it too. I won't be alone." she replies.

"You're right. We will help you. You are so amazing. And I know I tell you this a lot, but I really mean it. You are incredible. I may have super strength, but you are the strongest person I know." he says, looking at her as if she were the whole world.

I guess she is his. "Thank you, Oliver. And the rest of you. I wouldn't be here without you guys and I definitely couldn't do this without you. I love you guys." she says.

"We love you too." I reply, giving my brother a side hug as she holds Oliver's hands.

He lets go and practically runs over to Kaz. "She said she loves me! Did you hear that? She loves me!"

Kaz laughs and shakes his head. "She said she loves all of us, Buddy. Not just you."

Oliver just shrugs. "I'll take what I can get."

He skips back to Skylar who is wiping her tears away. "Hey! I was supposed to be the one to do that!" he exclaims, taking her face in one hand while wiping away a tear with the other.

She laughs a little at his adoration of her. Before anyone can say anything, though, we hear footsteps coming from the living room. We all turn toward the sound, and Kaz walks over to see who it is. Oliver holds Skylar tighter and Chase stands in front of me. We don't know who it might be and we don't want to be hurt by an intruder. My breathing picks up. What if it's Roman and Riker again? What if they hurt the others? Or Skylar again? Or me? I don't have to worry for long. Soon I hear laughter coming from the living room and Kaz reappears in the kitchen. "Guys, it's okay. It's only Mr. Davenport!" he says, smiling.

I smile and look at Chase who is smiling as well. We run into the living room, anxious to tell our 'dad' everything that has happened. Oliver stays behind with Skylar as she hobbles toward the rest of us. He really does love her. I smile to myself. We all sit down and explain everything to Mr. Davenport. He seems concerned, but also relieved that we are all okay. He said Skylar would be alright. And he's right. She will be alright. All of us will. We have each other and that is all we really need. "Hey, guys," says Skylar, standing up, "I think what we need is a good old-fashioned group hug. You guys up for it?"

We smile and throw our arms around each other. It may not be easy going forward, but we _will_ go forward; Together.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Thank you guys so much for reading this story! I really appreciate all of your support. I hope you have enjoyed this story and I hope you will continue to read my work. Thank you guys so much! I love you all! The prequel will be coming soon, so keep a look out. Probably around September because that's when the second part of Shattered Glass will come out as well. Thank you all again. Have a wonderful day and I hope to see you back in a few months! :):):)

Riker's P.O.V.

Guilt. I could have helped. I could have stopped him. If only I would have stood up to my older brother. If only I was stronger. Smarter. Braver. If I could go back, I don't know what I would do. But I know I wouldn't do what I did. I stood there. I ignored the noises. The screams. The agony I heard. I may be out for revenge, but I didn't want this. It wasn't my idea to do this anyway. I followed my brother and my Father. I wanted to be like them. I wanted them to be proud of me. I didn't know this would happen. I-I wish I could just say it. I didn't want this to happen. I'm sorry. It's my fault. It is. I wanted to be the Great Villain. I wanted to make them proud of me. Being the villain doesn't feel so good now. I feel dirty. I feel gross and disgusting. I hate this. I hate me. I stood there. I didn't turn around. I didn't do anything at all. I heard screaming. I didn't turn around. I heard my brother yelling. I did nothing. I caught her before she fell. I said nothing. I'm as bad as my brother. I was just as wrong as he was. I did nothing to help. I contributed to the hurt. I should have known what he did the moment he threw her at me. No, I should have known what he was planning before even that. I was naive. I didn't know he would do this. I always looked up to my older brother. I thought he was so cool. I hate him now. I wish we weren't related. But I can't hate him too much. I am just as bad as he is. I didn't do anything to stop him. I could have. If I had really tried, I could have made him stop. But I didn't. I was twenty feet away! I did nothing! Even afterwards, I could have told my brother he was wrong. I could have said he shouldn't have done it. I'm standing on the terrace now. They don't see me. I watch as they hug and cry and talk and laugh. They will get better. They will be alright. But they will never forgive me. I will live with this guilt for the rest of my life. I was there last night too. I watched her cry and cry. I just wanted to say that I'm so sorry and I wish I could make it better. I wish it hadn't happened. I wish I would have stopped it. I wanted to say all of those things. But I can't. They never want to see me again, except to have revenge on us for hurting her. Now I'm standing here again watching her get better. I smile, then frown. If only she were already alright. If only she didn't have to get better at all. It's my fault. And I will forever be sorry for the pain my brother and I have caused.

One Year Later...

I have come here almost everyday. She is doing well. She is surrounded by her friends who have really become like family to her. Of course she got better. I am glad. I still feel guilty, though, and I haven''t been able to say the two words I have wanted to for so long. I watch as she says goodnight and her friends head to their bedrooms. Oliver stays behind a moment, asking if she is coming too. She replies that she will come in a minute. She wants some time to think, alone, she says. He nods and gives her a hug goodnight. They are the best of friends now. Still not dating yet. They are closer now, though. All of them are. He leaves and she opens the door to the terrace. I quickly hide so that she doesn't see me. She walks to the edge of the terrace and looks down at the street below. She sighs heavily. I watch as she wipes a tear from her cheek. "I-I forgive you. I can't hate you any longer. I can't live like this anymore. You hurt me. I thought I was going to die. But I made it. My friends helped me and I'm not broken anymore. I still hated you, though, for what you did. But last week, Bree forgave Troy. It took her two years, but she did it. He hurt her even worse than you hurt me. So I f-forgive you. Both of you. You don't define me. This didn't break me. I am myself and that is all. I just wanted you to know, wherever you are, I don't hate you anymore. I don't like you, and I don't want to be around you, but I don't hate you. The hate was killing me. I needed to give it away. I wish I could hear your response. I don't even know if you hear me, but I had to say it. I'm done. This is over." she says, her voice powerful and strong.

She is not the girl she once was. I can tell. This did change her. But, in the end, it changed her for the better. I want her to know that. I want her to know how she has inspired me. How she made me think I could stand up to my father and brother. How she made me believe that I could be good again. And most of all, I want to let her know how truly sorry I am that this happened at all. How I'm so sorry that I let it happen. I send a vapour of smoke into the starry sky. The words read simply, "I'm Sorry."

She looks around to see where it came from, but I am already gone, flying through the sky. I look back at her one more time. She's smiling through her tears. It really is over now. It's Done.


End file.
